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In this fascinating follow-up to his New York Times best-seller Wilderness Warrior, acclaimed historian Douglas Brinkley documents the century-long struggle to save wild Alaska. The Quiet World explores the colorful diversity of Alaska''s wildlife and the forces that have threatened it over the years, from Klondike Gold Rush prospectors to industrial disasters like the Exxon-Valdez oil spill. Brinkley pays tribute to those who have fought to preserve this pristine wilderness, from Theodore Roosevelt to Dwight Eisenhower to the Walt Disney Corporation, and examines the threats that continue to imperil our 49th state. The Quiet World is a compelling call-to-arms for sustainability, conservationism, and conscientious environmental stewardship - a warning that the land once called ''Seward''s Folly'' may go down in history as America''s greatest mistake. Douglas Brinkley is a professor of history at Rice University and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. Seven of his books, including The Wilderness Warrior, have been selected as New York Times Notable Books of the Year. The Great Deluge, his account of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, won the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award. He lives in Texas with his wife and three children. ''The Quiet World is a fascinating and important read.'' - Jon Krakauer
About the author
Douglas Brinkley is the Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanities and Professor of History at Rice University, presidential historian for the New-York Historical Society, trustee of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library, and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. The Chicago Tribune dubbed him “America’s New Past Master.” He is the recipient of such distinguished environmental leadership prizes as the Frances K. Hutchison Medal (Garden Club of America), the Robin W. Winks Award for Enhancing Public Understanding of National Parks (National Parks Conservation Association), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Lifetime Heritage Award. His book The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast received the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award. He was awarded a Grammy for Presidential Suite and is the recipient of seven honorary doctorates in American studies. His two-volume, annotated Nixon Tapes won the Arthur S. Link–Warren F. Kuehl Prize. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife and three children.
